A new study says that the protein profile of women's saliva, which changes with age, potentially opens the means to diagnose age-related problems, non-invasively and in advance.

These diseases include lupus, Sjogrens syndrome (associated with dry mouth and dry eye), and other immune-related illnesses that affect millions of women globally, often at higher rates than men.

John Yates, Chemical Physiologist at the Scripps Research Institute, who headed the research and team note that human saliva consists of many different proteins that help in digestion, disease fighting, and other functions.

Scientists are finding ways to use the proteins as molecular ‘fingerprints’ to perform quick diagnostic tests that provide an alternative to the needle sticks needed for blood tests.

The scientists analysed saliva proteins in healthy women aged 20-30 and 55-65 years. They identified 293 proteins that differed between the two age groups.

Most were involved in the immune system's defences against infection. Older women had almost twice as many immune-related proteins than younger women, a American Chemical Society (ACS) release.

The outcome suggests that "it is critical to take into consideration these normal differences in protein expression when searching for clinically relevant, disease specific biomarkers", the study notes.

 

The findings appeared in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research.